Ying T.S. et al.: The endemic genera of seed plants of China, Fig. 101 (1993); with permission.
Full name and orig. publication: Allocheilos W.T.Wang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 21: 321 (Aug. 1983).
Etymology: From the Greek αλλος, allos = diverse, different, and χειλος, cheilos = lip, alluding to the unusual form of the limb with an undivided posterior lobe and four anterior lobes (probably a misobservation).
Synonyms: -
Infrafamilial position: Didymocarpoid Gesneriaceae - "Advanced Asiatic and Malesian genera" (Weber 2004).
Description: Perennial rosette herbs with slender rhizome. Leaves radial, with long, complanate, villose petiole, lamina suborbicular or cordate-orbicular, crenate, upper surface appressed-villose, lower surface densely brown pubescent. Cymes 2-5-flowered, peduncle scapose, sparsely villose; bracteoles opposite, linear, puberulous; pedicels glandular pubescent. Sepals free to base, linear. Corolla funnel-shaped, bilabiate, upper lip undivided, triangular, lower lip 4-lobed, lobes triangular, acute. Stamens 2, filaments curved, narrowly linear, inserted above base of corolla tube; anthers coherent, apex pubescent. Ovary ovoid to short-cylindrical, placentae 2, parietal, bifid; style slender, sparsely pubescent; stigma subcapitate. Fruit a slender cylindrical capsule, dehiscence loculicidal.
Chromosome numbers: Unknown.
Species number: 2 [A. cortusiflorus W.T.Wang, A. guangxiensis H.Q.Wen, Y.G.Wei & H.Zhong].
Species names (incl. publication and synonyms): See Skog, L.E. & J.K. Boggan. 2005: World checklist of Gesneriaceae: http://persoon.si.edu/Gesneriaceae/Checklist.
Type species: Allocheilos cortusiflorus W.T.Wang
Distribution: S China (Guizhou, E Yunnan).
Ecology: On rocks in limestone hills, c. 1400m.
Notes: The most distinctive feature of the genus is the corolla, which is (correctly?) said to have an undivided upper lip and a 4-partite lower lip, both with triangular-acute lobes. Burtt, in Wang & al. (1992: 57) says that there seems to be another species, not yet described, in N Vietnam.
Selected references: Wang et al. in Wu & Raven (eds.), Fl. China 18: 361 (1998) (Chinese sp.).
Bibliography: See Skog, L.E. & J.K. Boggan. 2005. Bibliography of the Gesneriaceae. 2nd edition: http://persoon.si.edu/Gesneriaceae/Bibliography.
Illustrations:
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Allocheilos cortusiflorus W.T.Wang, type species
Ying T.S. et al.: The endemic genera of seed plants of China, Fig. 101 (1993); with permission. |
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Allocheilos guanxiensis H.Q. Wen, Y.G. Wei & S.H. Zhong Li Z.Y. & Wang Y.Z., Plants of Gesneriaceae in China, Fig. 1.292 (2004); with permission. |
last modified: 2007-07-13